Help Fund Your Favorite School Cause One Apple at a Time

(NewsUSA) - While an apple a day may keep the doctor away, it turns out that this delectable fruit can help students, too.

This month you can aid specific school causes across the nation by taking a bite out of your favorite apple with "Buy an Apple, Help a Student," a fundraising program supported by the U.S. apple industry and other sponsors.

The way it works is this:

Between now and Nov. 15, the U.S. Apple Association, through its Apples for Education program, will feature 12 student causes on Apples4Ed.com. The classroom projects in need of funding range from new school gardens and improved libraries to updated technology, revitalized playgrounds and enhanced resources for teachers. To support one of these causes, all you have to do is follow these four simple steps:

* Snack. Grab anything apple-related, such as a piece of fruit, juice, applesauce, or any product from one of the program partners, like Marzetti dips and dressings, KIND Snacks, Roth cheese, or Johnsonville sausage.

* Snap. Take a picture of yourself or others enjoying the snack.

* Tag. Find a school cause that you would like to support at Apples4Ed.com, tag your photo with the project's name and use the hashtag #Apples4Ed.

* Share. Vote for your favorite school cause by uploading the photo to Apples4Ed.com or sharing on Instagram. You can vote as often as you like by uploading photos of yourself or others enjoying apples and apple pairings.

For every vote, the U.S. Apple Association and its program partners will pledge financial assistance to nominated projects to help them reach their goals. In addition, participants are eligible to win gift cards and have money donated directly to their selected projects.

In December, USApple will announce the cause with the most votes, which will receive the highest donation. All schools will receive a portion of funding for their respective project.

"We love the time-honored connection between apples and education and wanted to bring it to life with a fun program that lets people turn their daily apples into direct support for important classroom projects nationwide," said Wendy Brannen, USApple director of consumer health and public relations. "With Buy an Apple, Help a Student, enjoying an apple or delicious pairing from our program partners can go a long way in supporting healthy bodies and minds."

For more information, visit www.Apples4Ed.com.